Demountable animal pen assembly



P 1953 w. G. BEATTY DEMOUNTABLE ANIMAL PEN ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec 20 1950 Patented Sept. 15, 1953 DEMOUN.TABLE ANIMAL PEN ASSEMBLY William George Beatty Fergus, Ontario, Canada,

assignor te Beat ty Bros. Limited, Fergus, Ontario, Canada, a eorporation of Canada ApplicationDecember 20, 1950, Serial No. 201,749 In Canada September 7, 1950 13 Claims.

1 This inventionrelates to a sectional. pen structure for eonfining animals and is particularly directed to pro viding a structure which may be readily assembled in a desired location and easily and qnickly di sassembled when not in use.

An important object of this invention is to provide an impreved secti onal panel structure for tetheringcattle and other animals.

A. further important object of the nvention is.

taehed to adapt the structure to the building in.

which it isto beused and to the number of. ani-. mals to be tethered.

'I;he animalpen or stall structure of thepresent invention comprses, in general, a vertical uprig ht pusitoned between the o pposing ends, of two adjacent panel sections, an inverted U- shaped member carried by sad. upright and adapted to embrace. a portion of the upper rim ofeach opposng; end of each panel. member, re-

leasable means carried by sad upright or securing said U:shaped member firmly in place, a sil1 atthelower end of said upright adapted to supp o rt a portion of each opposing lower ends of the panels, and releasable means for attaching the opposing ends of the panels to,the adjacent portioris of said sll.

An. understanding of the manner in which the above and other objects may be attained may he had from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in

whieh:

Figure 1 is a sectonal cattle stall embodying the improvements of the present invention; and

Figure 2 is a front elevation, on an enlarged scale, llustrating portions of two adj acent panel secti ons joined. to a common vertical intermedate Post.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view, on an enlarged scal1e showing an alternative means f or support- 2 ing the lower ends ofthe panels to that shuwn in Fig. 2.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the specification and drawing;

Referring to the drawingthe numerals 10, 10u, 1%, le, 10d, and I0e indicate panels adapted for use in tetherng, for example, cattle orhogs in a stable, the panels l0, I-Iiaand lllb:being-parallel to and spaced from the panels IO c, Ilht and "ie to provide an aisle l-I. Entrance to the asle is gainedthrough a gate l2 carriedby and extended between the end panels I-3|4.

The panels are substantially the same in construction as is the marmer in Which the.ends are connected to the adjacent uprights. Consequent- 1y, only those parts are describedin detail as are necessary for an understanding of the invention. The bottom edge of each panel is grooved to receive a reinforcng insert 35.

Each panel is formed, for example, of wood 01' metal and comprises an upper rail member I5I5a and a lower rail member l--I6a which extends horizontally from end to end of; the respectve panels. These horizontalmembers extend between and are secured to the vertical members I l, Het and IIb and. l'lc and I'Id. respectively. These horizontal and vertioal members are preferably U-shaped channels=into Which the edge portions of the panels fit snugly and securely; Tethering rings. 30 are spaced along the panels at intervals fortying animals thereto.

The end of each panel is connected to and carried by one of an end post, a cerner post 01 an intermediate. post. In each instance the principle of the connection is the same but departures may be made to satisfy specific requirements. For the purpose of description, an intermediate vertical post I8 is described in detail and detailed references are made to the diierent arrangement of parts employed in the corner and end posts.

The ntermediate post 18 is provided, at its base with a plate |9 whichextends transversely of the member a short distance in each direction. This plate [9 is adapted to rest on a channel 2G forming a sill. This channel extends trans versely of the assembly and alsoprovides a s eat for the immediately opposite vertical post 192. The channel 2D is provided at each end With. rubber feet 31 or other similar friction device which will resist movement of the channel by stresses exerted by animals tethered to the panels.

The lower edge of each opposing end. of the panels lla is adapted to rest on and to be supported by the adjacent end of the sill l9 such that the vertical members I ia-Hb substantially abut the opposite sides of the post l8.

The upper eclges of the opposing ends of the panels lia are received in snug fitting relation within the adjacent arms of the elongated channel formed by the inverted U-shaped memloer 2 This elongated, inverted U-shaped mem beris secured to or otherwise supported by and embraces the vertical post l8 at a height such that the upper ends of the panels fit snugly into it. The member |8c corresponds to the member 21 and connects the panels and lild to the upright 19e.

The inverted, U-shaped channel member is securely held in its operative position by a rotatable sleeve 21' of progressively increasing height from its narrowest te its greatest height to provide a cam 33 on the upper edge of the sleeve. The sleeve is mounted on the post and held in a clamping position against the member 2i by a pin 28 inserted into an opening in the post 18 immediately above the combined height of the panel section, channel member and sleeve. With the pin 28 in its locking position, and the sleeve rotated to cause the pin to bear against the cam 33, the channel member is firmly clamped over the upper rims of the opposing end portions of the adjacent panel sections. The sleeve is perforated at 34 to register with a corresponding perforation in the post 18 through whioh a pin 36 is driven to retain the sleeve against rotation When in its clamping position. 'Ihis arrangement of parts is disclosed in my prior copending application, now Patent Number 2,610,830, issuecl September 16, 1952. The channel member 2| may be released from its clamping position by rotating the sleeve in the opposite direction until its narrowest point is engaged against the pin in whioh position the pin will align with a vertical channel 21a in the inside wall of the sleeve allowing the sleeve to be raised Vertically on the upright out of engagement with the clamping member. This allows the channel member 2! to be moved vertically and thus removed from engagement with the panels.

The lower edges of the panels are held against inadvertent displacement from the plate I9, such as by 2. pin 22 which extends upwardly from the plate l9 at a point between the post l8 and each end of the plate. Each pin 22 is designed to fit into an aligned passageway 23 formed in the adjacent end of the vertical member I'la or l'lb. The panels are thus held firmly in place against vertical or lateral displacement from their fixed position and the weight of the structure is suii'icient to withstand the stresses and strains to which it is subjected in use. In plaoe of the plate l9, a U-shaped channel 311, illustrated in Fig. 3, may be used. This channel 3U is similar to the channel 2I.

Sometimes there may be variations in the height of the panels. In order to provide for this variation each member 2I, and each corresponding member, is provided with a pair of adjusting screws 32, one at each end. By turning the screws, differences in the height of adjoining ends may be taken care of.

Transverse reinforcing members 24 are securecl to extensions 25 and 26 which extend upwardly trom oppositely positioned vertical posts.

The transverse reinforcing members are sufi- & ciently high above the floor to permit a person to walk below them and are designed to reinforce the vertical posts against lateral displacement.

The corner posts embody the plate and inverted U-shaped channel members with the difference that instead of extending at an angle of 180 aoross the vertical post, the two arms of each member are positioned at an angle of to each other in the directions of the panels.

The present invention possesses a number of important advantages. The invention is particularly applcable to the assembly of animal pens and stalls which are erected for temporary use, such as in arenas and. other types of community centers wherein livestock exhibitions are for a limited period of time and the building is employed for other purposes at other times. The various parts are interchangeable and the structure may be assembled and disassembled readily and is capable of being stored in a relatively small space. When erected, it is very stable and is capable of withstanding the stresses and strains to which it is subjected by the tethered animals.

It will be understood, of course, that modifi cations may be made in the preferred embodment of the invention described and illustrated herein without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims.

What I desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A portable animal pen comprising a plurality of panel sections, a vertically disposed upright positioned between the contiguous ends of each pair of adjacent panel sections, a sill at the lower end of and connected to each upright supporting said uprght against displacement by the movement of animals tied thereto, a plate carried by said sill and projecting outwardly from opposite sides of the base of the upright and at right angles to the sill, said plate orming a support for the contiguous ends of each pair of adjacent panel sections, a pin projectng upwardly from the plate on opposite sides of the upright, a hole in the lower edge of each panel adjacent to said upright for receiving said pin, a detachable member carried by each upright and adapted to engage the upper edge of the adjacent ends of each pair of panel sections to hold said sections in fixed position and. releasable means securing said member firmly in fixed position.

2. A portable animal pen according to claim 1 in which said releasable means comprises a sleeve rotatably mounted on said upright and engagng with said detachablemember, said sleeve having a cam-like surface on the upper edge of said sleeve, a pin through said upright and. positioned to act on said cam-like surfaoe to urge said sleeve When rotated in one direction to its locking position, and. to release said sleeve When rotated in the opposite direction.

3. In a portable animal pen having a plurality of panel sections arranged to be connected into a unitary structure having spaced apart longitudinal walls with an alleyway therebetween, means for connecting contiguous panel sections together and for interconnecting oppositely disposed panel sections comprising a transverse member, an upright member at each end of said member, a cross bar connecting the upper ends of the upright members, a plate extending outwardly trom opposite sides of the base of each post, said plate forming a support for the ends of each pair of adjacent panel sections, releasable. meana for securing each of said lower ende on said plate against lateral displacement, a detachable member carred by each. upright and adapted to engage the upper edge of the adjacent ends of each pair of panel sections ancl re leasabl'e means securi-ng said member firmly in place.

4. In a portable animal penhaving a plurality of panel sections arranged tebe connected into a unitary structure havingspaced apart longitudinal walls Wth an alleyway therebetween, means for connecting contiguous panel sections together and for interconnecting oppositely disposed panel sections comprising a transverse channel member, an upright member at each end of said member, a cross bar connecting the upper ends of the upright members, a plate extending outwardly from opposite sides of the base of the post at right angles to the channel, said plate forming a support for ends of each pair of adjacent panel sections and havng an upright stud at each end thereof to enter a re cess in the lower edge of the panel section which rests on said plate, a detachable member carried by each upright and adapted to engage the upper edge of the adjacent ends of each pair of panel sections and releasable means securing said member firmly in place.

5. A portable animal pen comprising a plurality of panel sections arrangecl to be connected into a unitary structure, a vertically disposed upright positioned between the opposing ends of each pair of adjacent panel sections, a sill at the lower end of and connected to each upright and arranged to support said upright aganst displacernent loy the movement of animals tied thereto, said sill orming a support for the ende of each pair of adjacent panel sections, means for removably attaching each of said lower enols to said sill against lateral displacement relative thereto, a detachable member carried by each upright and adapted to engage the upper edge of the adjacent ends of each pair of panel sections, releasable means securing said member firmly in place, and means carried by said member for adjusting said member to allow for diferences in height between adjacent ends of adjoining panels.

6. An animal pen structure which comprises a vertically disposecl upright positoned between the contiguous ends of adjacent panel sections, a sill at the lower end of said upright adapted to support a portion of the lower edge of each adjacent panel section, releasable means fox attaching each of said lower ends on said sill against lateral displacement oonsisting of a plate attached to said sill, said plate having a portion whoh engages With the lower end of each adjacent panel section, an inverted U-shaped member carried by said uprght and adaptecl to embrace a portion of the upper rim of each adjacent end of each panel member, and releasable means carred by said upright for seouring said invertecl U-shaped member firmly in place.

7. A portable animal pen according to claim 6 ti'guous ends of adj'acent panel sections. and; having a part engaging with the said ends to retai'n the panel sections against lateral or Ion-- gtuclinal movement, and the other member comprising an upper removable memberhaving*v a central orifice therethrough, said channel member being mountable on and receiving the upper edges of contiguous endsof adjacent panel sections with the uprght extending through said. orifiee asleeve rotatably ancl removably mounted on said upright and having its lower eclge supportecl on said channel member, and its upper edge Iormed with a cam-like surface, a fixed member en said upright positioned to be engagecl by the cam-like surface to cause the sleeve to apply a clamping pressure to the contiguous ends of the panel sections vvhen the sleeve is rotated in one directon to look said contiguous ends together and to unlock said enols when the sleeve is rotated in the opposte direction.

9. For a sectonal animal pen having at least two panel sections and a vertically disposed upright positoned between the contiguous ends of adjacent panel sections, cooperating members removably lookng adjacent sections together to form an animal pen, one member comprising a lower support member on the lower end of the upright anti extendng radially from opposite sides thereof to support contiguous ends of adjacent panel sections and having a part engaging With the bottom edges of said ends to retain the panel sections against lateral or longitudinal movement, and the other member comprisng an upper channel member having a central orifice for entering the upright therethrough, said channel member receiving the upper edges of contiguous ende of adjacent sections with the upright extending through said orifice, a sleeve rotatably and removably mounted on said upright to be supported on said channel member, a cam-like surface on the upper edge of said sleeve, a fixed member on said upright positioned to engage against said surface to apply a clarnping pressure to said channel vvhen rotated in one direction, and a vertical channel in said sleeve positioned to register with said fixed member vvhen said sleeve is rotateol in a direction to release said pressure.

10. For a sectional animal pen as clamed in claim 8 in which the upper member is provided with a pair of adjusting screws, one on each side of the upright.

11. For a sectional animal pen as clamed in claim 9 in which the part on the lower member engaging with the lower eclges consists of an upstanding stud at each end of the lower support member and the bottom edge of each secton is formed with a recess or receiving one of said studs.

12. For a sectional animal pen as claimed in claim 8 in which the part on the lower member engaging with the lower edges consists of an upstandng stud at each end of the lower support member and the bottom edge of each section is formecl wth a recess or receiving one of said studs.

13. An animal pen structure Which comprises a vertically disposecl upright positioned between the contiguous ends of adjacent panel sections, a sill at the lower end of said upright adapted to support a portion of the lower edge of each adjacent panel section, releasable means for attaohing each of said lower ends on said sill against lateral displacement, an inverted U- shaped member carrieol by said upright and adapted to embrace a porton of the upper rm of each adjacent end of each panel member, and releasable means carred by sad uprght for securing sad nverted U-shaped member firmly in place, comprsing a s1eeve rotatably mounted on said upright and engaging with sad detachable member, said sleeve havng a cam-lke surface on the upper edge of said s1eeve, a pn through sad. upright and postioned to act, on sad cam-lke surface to urge said sleeve when rotated in one directon to ts locking poston, and to release sad s1eeve when rotated in the opposte directon.

WILLIAM GEORGE BEATI'Y.

Referenees Cited in the file of this patent 5 Number UNI'IED STATES PATEN'I'S Name Date Pea.rson July 11, 1871 Van Dorn July 18, 1882 Woodman Dec. 5, 1899 Krawczyk July 20, 1915 Gustafson Oct. 12, 1943 Beatty Sept. 16, 1952 

